Soap Makers Help!

[okiegirl]

well, when ya'll are ready, let me know and I'll put up a recipe. Even if you never sell it, once you try handmade lotions, you'll never buy that store stuff again.

Because I don't use any alcohol in my lotions I've even had people say that their skin conditions have cleared up. My daughters best friend had scales and her hand cracked and bled, now all she uses is my lotions and her skin all cleared up. Of course I can't claim that on the labels because the FDA is really hard on cosmetic labels, but she sure loves it.

 

[katiesarahsmom]

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This sounds like soemthing I would like to try!

 

[breconbcs]

okiegirl, I'd love to try your recipe for my daughter.

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Morgaine, I use both natural and Lab Colors.
Last week I was trying to work with the Lab ones and messed them up. That and I think I added to much blue mica and it turned the soap black. I think it was just one of those things as nothing was going right last week and it being the first week of summer vacation for the kids added to my stress having them home while I was trying to work. I was wrong it was Nag Champa that I did, not Neroli (which is what I had first planned on). It is okay, reminds me of incense. Here is the description for it: A truly exotic and sensual bouquet. Nuances of sandalwood, champa flowers and violet delicately blends with ylang ylang, patchouli and musk at the base.

I found the same with the Citrus Mist this weekend. Everyone said it smelled good but put it back. I love it, it's a nice light citrus scent. I'm finding the florals are what is selling the most.

I have BRC on the rack curing, can't wait till it's done I really like it. I think it would make a nice tub truffle too. I had ordered more of it but my supplier was out so I subbed it for Cassis Vanilla. Smells good so we'll see. I have Yuzu sitting on the shelf which I will be making this week as I've been asked for it. I've got lots of "sample" scents to try - I buy just a big enough bottle to do up a 2lb batch. I just picked up Dragon's Blood today - on the fence with it. I also got a non-darkening Vanilla for mixing with other FOs (Strawberry, Acai), Blackberry Sage and my FO for the fall swap.

I love visiting the suppliers so I can smell the scents before deciding though today I just added to my wish list. I also picked up some new oils to try - Cherry Kernel and Perilla Seed.

I did get asked if I could make a cinnamon bar. Not sure how popular that would be but I'm going to give it a try. Do you's think I would need to add cinnamon eo or will the cinnamon hold on it's own?

 

[Backyard Buddies]

Here's a picture of the soap I made yesterday, Sandalwood.

Today I soaped a Lavender & Oatmeal.

 

[TM Chickens]

The MMS fragrence calculator recommends 0.28 ppo for most of their fragrances. I've made 5 baches with that rate and it smells weak to me. If anyone has used MMS, what rate do you use?

 

[Backyard Buddies]

okiegirl - Welcome to the thread! I would

to learn how to make lotions! I'll be looking forward to your lessons!

Morgaine - Wow! 5 hours and it was as hard as a rock? I know you've done the Coconut Shea recipe with the tea tree (used that this morning btw - lovely!) but it didn't do the same thing to you. I wonder if it was the added pumice?

I think I'm going to have to get some of that SW BRC to try.

breconbcs - Can't wait to hear a report on your new oils! I've also been asked about cinnamon, but I've heard that cinnamon EOs can be irritating. I'm curious to hear if anyone else has tried it.

TM Chickens - .28 ppo sounds a bit low to me as well. I usually use at least .5 for most of my fragrances, more for some that need more. I use the reports of other soapers on the Scent Review Board as my guideline.

 

[chiknwhisperer]

Oh y gosh! That is gorgeous! I love it BB. I need to soap tomorrow I have put it off to long with all the crazy stuff around here. It will feel good to get back to it.

 

[ametauss]

Okiegirl... please post the lotion reciepe... I've been asked about a lotion and didn't want to just buy a lotion base...

Also, has anyone added Castile soap to a reciepe... I just ran across two bottles of pure Castile soap, one plain and one almond and thought about adding them to a soap....

I also came across lanolin oil (which I thought would smell lambish) and wanted to know what type of soap to use it in.

I made an over-the-top honeysuckle soap this weekend... WAY to much honeysuckle FO but everyone who's smelled it loves it...
I wasn't sure how old the FO was since I got it from my sister so I used about 4oz in a 2# batch.... WOW!!

 

[katiesarahsmom]

Is soap making hard? I am intrigued by all this. I think if I could do this it would make great Christmas gifts.

 

[Backyard Buddies]

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WOW is right! I'll be interested to see if all of that holds over time. Let us know!

katiesarahsmom - Hard? No. But you do need to know what you're doing - both in instructions, proper equipment, and recipe, all fairly easy to locate in books (The Soapmaker's Companion) and online. If you do your reading ahead of time, line up your equipment, and then "just do it" as the Nike slogan goes, you'll find that it's not that hard. Add the lye to the liquid, melt the hard oils, add the soft oils, get them all to the right temperature, add the lye, and blend it until it "traces", mix in fragrance, pour into the mold, insulate, wait, unmold, and cut.

It does make fabulous Christmas gifts but you'll probably find, just like the rest of us, that you won't stop there!

As for equipment, you need a big pot, a digital scale (ounces and grams), stir spoons, an immersion blender, a couple of thermometers, and a mold (mine is an old desk drawer). Gloves and goggles are recommended to protect yourself from stray lye.

Lye (100% Sodium Hydroxide) can be bought at some stores such as Ace Hardware (Rooto brand) or online. Some folks on this thread get their oils at Walmart while others buy online.